


Here Be Dragons

by littlestarinthesky



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dragon!Eren, Hurt/Comfort, Like really really slow, M/M, Omega Eren Yeager, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build, Submissive Eren Yeager, Tall Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), mild a/b/o, past human experimentation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-12 17:17:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7942660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlestarinthesky/pseuds/littlestarinthesky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dragons have been killed by poachers and sport hunters to the point where they are now an endangered species. The Survey Corps works under the Wings of Freedom Act to protect their natural forest habitat while studying the giant creatures.</p><p>Levi discovers a naked trespasser in the forest.</p><p>Eren finally escapes, only to be captured by more humans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, so please have mercy. Let me know if you catch any mistakes and tell me what you think. Enjoy!  
> ❤

When Levi was called to the surveillance department at the ass crack of dawn, he was fully prepared to rip the shit stain that had decided to waste his time at such an ungodly hour a new one. What Levi was not prepared for was to be informed that someone or something had jumped the fence.

Nicknamed Wall Maria, the fence is designed to keep poachers out and has an electric current strong enough to deter any human intruders. The Survey Corps maintains Wall Maria under the Wings of Freedom Act in efforts to preserve the habitat of many endangered species of dragons. For nearly two weeks they have been monitoring the movements of an unknown entity along the border.

“It looks like they jumped from the upper branches of this tree,” the young tech gestures to the top of the monitor, “then we lose visual.” Levi watches as the footage replays and a small shadow darts across the corner of the screen.

“Show me the thermal scans,” Levi leans over the kid’s shoulder as the image changes.

“The infrared barely caught the jump, but couldn’t distinguish any heat difference once they were in the trees again.” The tech clicks through different screens and Levi straightens with a sigh. He had hoped they had finally gotten a solid visual. Whatever had been creeping through the trees along the fence line had thus far managed to avoid most of their surveillance equipment. All the data surveillance team had collected consisted of flashes of movement through the leaves and a few thermal scans. Levi doubts that it’s a poacher, but the movement indicates something much smaller than the average dragon. It could be a hatchling, but then where were its parents?

“However,” the tech interrupts his thoughts, “just before sun rise we got this thermal from a scanner about ten meters inside of Maria.” The screen shows the usual cool tones of the forest. “Right there.” The tech points to the base of a tree on the right side of the screen and enlarges the image.

“Call Commander Smith’s office and inform him our visitor finally showed itself,” Levi orders, “and tell him the little shit is human.”

 

* * *

 

Eren doesn’t want to go over the fence. He can hear the hum of electricity and is not eager to get too close. So he climbs through the trees hoping to eventually get around this new obstacle. He travels at night, when his scales turn more black than green and he can hunt in the cover of the darkness. He is very careful to stay hidden in the foliage because there are lots of cameras by the fence. Eren knows that cameras mean humans are nearby. Eren doesn’t like humans.

It has been many days since Eren found the fence and he has yet to find the end. It seems to go on forever and the humans are still following him. They are so close he can smell their campfire at night. He has to go over the fence. Eren whines at the thought, but it is his best chance to be free. There have been no gates in the fence for the humans to use this far, so he might be able to escape them on the other side. Still, Eren doesn’t want to go over the fence. He is sure there are more humans there.

Eren waits until the human camp has gone quiet for the night and then climbs higher. He crawls forward on a branch high above the fence and sights his target. It's not too far away. His wings should be able to handle such a short glide. He backs into the tree again and gives himself a running start before he jumps. His wings unfold and catch the wind, giving him just enough time to taste the air before he is in his target tree folding his wings back against his spine. He had never been any good at flying.

He leaps through the branches to a tree further from the fence and scents the air for threats. The forest is quiet here and he feels safe enough to rest for a while before sunrise. He drops from the tree and builds a quick makeshift nest in the undergrowth. His scales are already receding and he burrows deeper in the soft forest floor to stay warm. It’s exhausting being a dragon.

 

* * *

 

Levi’s team follows the trail for hours before they finally find him. Mike paces around the trunk of a tree, looking up through the branches. He gestures to Levi to join him under the tree before pointing up. Through the foliage, Levi can make out a slim leg wrapped around the trunk of the tree. Levi radios in their position to Eld, keeping a close eye on the leg. The forest is thinner here, so it should be an easy drive from the dirt road where they left the truck when he and Mike decided to follow the trail on foot. He’s debating whether to just yell at the trespasser to get out of the tree when Eld pulls up. The sound of the engine cuts out and Levi watches as the leg pulls up out of sight.

 

* * *

 

 

Eren cannot afford to panic now. These humans move faster than the ones he escaped from and they are much harder to keep track of. They move with stealth through the forest and have managed to stay downwind all morning, making it nearly impossible for Eren to hone in on their scent. He’s exhausted himself trying to gain distance from the humans and in his panic found himself climbing a tree where the forest is too thin to comfortably reach the next without his wings. Now he’s trapped with the humans gathering below him.

Eren startles when one of the humans yells at him. He risks a glance down to see the dark haired one glaring up through the leaves.

“Hey! Get down here, you little shit!” The human sounds mad and Eren whines, skittering around the trunk to hide. He most certainly will not go down there to the angry human. Eren tries to shift again. If only he had his wings, he would be able to glide to the next tree and get back to the thicker part of the forest where it's easier to move and hide. He can feel the nape of his neck start to prickle, but he just doesn’t have any energy left to shift forms. He hasn’t stopped to rest all morning.

“You have ten seconds to get out of the tree before I knock it down,” the human calls. Eren watches another human walk towards his tree with an axe. He needs to move. Now.

“Ten!” He sets his sights on the closest neighboring tree.

“Nine!” Eren takes a deep breath and tries to shift one last time.

“Three, two, one!” Eren jumps as the first swing of the axe vibrates up the trunk. He knows instantly he isn't going to make it. His human legs just don't have the strength to propel him to the new tree. Eren braces for impact, the humans yelling to each other as he crashes through the edge of the branches and into the forest floor.

He’s up and running in a split second, trying to make it back to denser brush where he can hide. He can hear the humans chasing him, the voice of the dark haired one cursing. Eren doesn’t look. His ankle threatens to give out, but he keeps going, running as fast as he can, weaving through the forest.

He hears the whistle of air too late and is knocked to ground. He tries to get up, but his legs get twisted in ropes. The humans netted him! He struggles under the net, trapped without his claws to cut himself free.

“You’re under arrest for trespassing on government reserved land. You'll be coming with us back to headquarters for questioning. Cooperate and we might be lenient with your punishment,” the human intones, approaching much slower now that his target is caught.

“No!” Eren growls in warning as the rest of the humans surround him. They freeze as he continues to writhe on the floor, his panicked movements only tangling himself in the ropes.

“It’s a kid,” the human looks Eren over, “a naked kid.”

“No shit,” the angry one now. He kneels by Eren’s legs, pulling at the ropes. “Hey, brat. What are you doing naked in the forest?”

Eren’s throat feels thick. “Lemme go!” He jerks his leg away from a grasping hand.

“Would you stop moving for a fucking second so I can get this off?” the angry one snaps at him. Eren goes very still, muscles taut. “Eld go get the truck.” Eren listens to the retreating footsteps as the one called Eld leaves, but keeps his wide eyes focused on the man by his feet. The angry one must be the leader of these humans.

 

* * *

 

 

To say Levi was shocked to find a butt naked brat caught in the dragon net would be an understatement. He had been expecting to find another poacher or crazy dragon lover trying to sneak onto the reserve. Definitely not some lost teenager. How did he get all the way out here? And why the fuck is he naked? Emerald eyes blink up at him, as he studies the boy. The kid is filthy and covered in fresh scrapes, but otherwise looks healthy enough. He hisses when the rope pulls at his foot and flinches back when Levi takes the offered knife from Mike.

“Be still,” Levi speaks softly and cuts the twisted cords away, handing the blade back. Levi carefully prods at the boy’s already swelling ankle. It'll be a miracle if nothing is broken after that drop out of the tree. Eld pulls up in the truck and Mike grabs a blanket from the back to cover the boy, carefully lifting him from the ground and leaning close to sniff the back of his neck. Levi watches as the kid hesitates, then slowly stretches up to sniff at Mike’s throat in return. Mike snorts, loading their new charge into the truck and patting him on the head.


	2. Chapter 2

Eren doesn't know what to think of these new humans. They act strange. The quiet one had scented him just like other dragons would and seemed amused when Eren politely returned the greeting. Eren knew better than to let his guard down, though. Humans made for dangerous company.

They drive in silence down bumpy dirt roads and Eren can feel the humans watching him. He pulls the blanket tighter, trying to shield himself. Being trapped in his vulnerable human skin makes Eren nervous. His nape prickles with the need to change forms, but exhaustion holds the instinct at bay. Shifting uses a lot of energy and he needs to rest before he'll be able to manage a proper shift.

“What’s your name, kid?” Eren looks up to find the angry one studying him, waiting for a response. He considers ignoring the question, but the dark-haired man holds his gaze until Eren gives in, mumbling his name through the scratchy fabric.

“How did you get all the way out here? Did you get lost?” Eren shrugs.

“Are you out here by yourself?” Eren shakes his head in response. He has been travelling alone, but the other humans are never far behind him.

"With your family?"

"No."

"Friends?"

Eren's nose wrinkles. They were definitely not his friends. "No."

"Then who were you with?"

"I don't know.”

 

* * *

 

Eren doesn’t speak the rest of the way back to the Survey Corps headquarters. Eld radios ahead and Armin is waiting outside with a wheelchair when they arrive. When Levi tries to pull Eren out of the truck, though, the boy resists and scoots to the other side of the car. Levi keeps his voice calm while he tells Eren they are just going inside to have a doctor look him over and make sure he's okay. Eren shakes his head at the mention of a doctor, pulling his leg under the blanket as if to hide it. Armin edges closer to the vehicle, peering around Levi to get a look at the brunette huddling inside.

“If I may, sir?” Armin vaguely gestures to Eren.

“Knock yourself out,” Levi grumbles, stepping away.

“Hello, my name is Armin,” he murmurs to the frightened boy, slowly climbing into the truck. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Eren.”

“Hi, Eren. I hear that you got hurt falling down. Would it be alright with you if I took a quick look?” Armin waits as Eren eyes him warily before cautiously stretching his leg out across the seats. Eren sucks in a breath when the blonde lifts his foot and feels his ankle with soft touches. “Is it hurting you very much?”

“Only a little,” Eren answers.

“That’s very good. You are a little swollen, but that should go down with the help of an ice pack or two. It looks like it's just a sprain. I would like to take you inside where I can wrap it and get you that ice pack. Does that sound okay to you?” Armin sets the ankle in his lap and gives Eren a small smile. “You can get cleaned up and lie down for a while, too.”

Eren’s gaze flicks over the blonde’s shoulder. He would very much like the chance to bathe and rest. He searches Armin’s blue eyes. “No doctors?”

“Well, I’m a doctor, so there will be one there.” Eren squints at him. Armin doesn’t seem like any of the doctors he has ever met before. He leans over and sniffs at the human. Armin doesn’t smell like a doctor either. There is no lingering scent of blood or sickness on him. Armin smells like milk and sugar and hatchlings. Eren relaxes, this human smells safe.

“I'll go with you. Not the angry one,” Eren decides.

Armin laughs. “Don’t worry, we’ll make Corporal Levi wait in the hall.”

 

* * *

 

Levi does wait in the hall at Armin’s insistence. He settles by the door as the blonde guides the wheelchair into a medical suite and ushers Eren into the bathroom. By the time the two emerge, Erwin has joined Levi in the doorway and they speak in hushed tones. Armin settles a freshly washed, clothed Eren on the hospital bed in the center of the room and sets to wrapping his sprained ankle. Eren watches Armin work in silence. Erwin waits until Armin has finished before entering.

“Alright, let’s get started,” Erwin says, stepping up to the foot of the bed. Eren startles at the commanding voice, scrambling over the edge and stumbling back. Armin squeaks at him to get back in bed and keep weight off of his injury, but Eren ignores him in favor of sliding along the wall. Levi moves to stand in front of the door when the boy starts inching toward the exit. Eren turns to Armin, wide eyes pleading.

“Eren?” Armin asks softly.

“Sorry?” Eren tries. His eyes lock onto the blonde giant still standing by the bed, flinching when the man moves forward.

“Back up, eyebrows, you’re scaring the kid,” Levi glares and Erwin puts his hands up, retreating to an armchair by the door.

“It’s okay, Eren. I know Erwin looks kind of scary, but he’s really just a big teddy bear,” Armin assures. Levi snorts.

"No punishment, please." Eren looks nervously between the humans.

Armin looks back at him, confused. "You're not in any trouble."

"He said," Eren glances at Levi, "punishment. For trespassing."

Levi's expression softens. "I was wrong, Eren. I thought you were someone else. No punishment. I promise."

Eren lets Armin help him back into the bed, but he doesn’t let Erwin out of his sight.

“Eren,” Erwin starts, “my name is Erwin Smith and I’d like to ask you some questions, if that’s alright.” Eren glances at Armin, who smiles and nods.

“Yeah,” Eren says.

“What were you doing in the forest?” Erwin asks.

Eren plucks at the hem of the shirt Armin gave him. “I was going home.”

“And where is your home?” Eren doesn’t answer. He stares at his hands, brow furrowed. “Eren?”

“I don’t know,” he admits.

"How long have been away from home?"

"Long time." Eren hums, thinking. "I was littler and my papa left, so I tried to go find my sister, but they got me before I found her."

"Who got you?" Erwin and Levi share a look.

"The other humans." He raises his eyes, shoulders hunched up to his ears. “Please don't make me go back. I don’t like it there.”

“Go back where?”

"I dunno exactly. Looked kinda like here, but smaller?" Eren gives the white room a once over.

"A medical facility? That would explain the scarring," Armin mentions.

Levi looks up sharply. "What scarring?" He turns to Eren. "Did they hurt you?"

"They-" Eren flushes, looking away again. Levi sounds mad again and it makes Eren shrink in on himself.

"They're surgical scars. I saw them when I helped Eren get cleaned up," Armin explains. "They look like they've healed well, but there are quite a few of them."

"They looked in my belly," Eren mumbles.

 

* * *

 

Erwin asks a lot of questions that Eren doesn't know the answer to. Armin perches on the bed next to him and Eren tries to subtly worm his way closer. Eren presses up against the blonde’s ribs to catch more of his comforting scent. When he starts snuffling at Armin’s collarbone, Erwin pauses his line of questioning and asks if Armin makes him feel more comfortable.

Eren pulls away, blushing at having been caught. “Smells good,” he whispers. Armin looks down at him with a curious expression and Eren tries to explain. That Armin has the scent of a clutch clinging to his skin, that Eren can smell warm milk on the fabric of his shirt. Armin smells like a mother dragon.

“I was feeding the hatchlings in the nursery before this,” Armin says.

Erwin gives Eren a strange look. “Armin, get Eren a physical and do some bloodwork. Make sure Hanji looks over the results. I'll see you soon, Eren.” Erwin nods to the two and makes his exit.

Eren fidgets through the short examination. Armin hums and takes notes, looking in his mouth and eyes. When his shirt is lifted over his head, Eren can feel Levi’s glare weighing on the exposed skin.

“Can we be done now?” Eren asks. Armin eases Eren’s shirt back on and says they just have to draw a little blood, then they can be done.

Eren tucks his arms tight against his chest. “I don’t want to.”

“It’ll just be a little pinch, Eren,” Armin says. "We need to make sure you're all healthy."

“No, thank you. I'm not sick. Promise.”

“When we’re done I’ll take you to the nursery and you can play with the hatchlings,” Armin tempts. Eren isn’t falling for that. He shakes his head and tries to tuck himself under the sheet.

Levi sighs and tugs the sheet away. “Come on, brat, put your arm out. It won’t even hurt.”

Eren’s eyes water. “No, I don’t want to,” he says, voice wobbling.

He is so tired of being poked and prodded. He can't stand to have his skin full of holes anymore. He had been starting to think these humans might be different, but they wanted to take from him just like the others. Take his blood, take his insides, take everything. Eren needs to go back to the forest. He needs to go, go, go.

He lashes out and hears Armin’s tray of medical supplies crash to the floor. Fingers tighten around his wrists, trapping his arms against his heaving chest and Eren snaps his head forward, biting into someone's shoulder.

“Fuck. Calm the fuck down.”

Eren thrashes, trying to escape the sudden weight pressing him down into the bed.

His nape tightens and he gives in to the surging adrenaline. Skin thickens, wings burst from shoulder blades. Fabric shreds from a rapidly expanding body. A newly sprouted tail knocks Levi back a step and Eren twists off the bed, scales shimmering under the fluorescent lights.


	3. Chapter 3

“What the fuck,” Levi glares at the dragon that was very much not in the room a minute ago.

“Holy shit,” Armin gasps. The dragon breathes heavily from the floor on the other side of the bed.

“Armin, get me a tranquilizer,” Levi orders in a low voice. Armin bolts from the room. The dragon heaves to a stand, but only takes a few steps before settling down with a grumble. Levi slips around the bed, watching as it flexes and stretches its hind leg until a pop sounds out.

It’s small, probably only six feet or so in length. The wings look almost underdeveloped. Even folded up as tight as they are, Levi can tell that they are too thin for a body this size. Leathery black skin is freckled with dark scales. The scales catch the light as the dragon stirs, flashing green. By the coloring, Levi would presume it to be a night hunter. Possibly nocturnal, which would correlate with the late-night movements they’ve been tracking along the Maria fence line.

He pulls a dog whistle from his tac pants. Dragons have such acute hearing, the high frequency of the whistle at close range can be disorienting. Levi always carries one when in the forest, just in case. Dragons are usually pretty easy going creatures, but they can be temperamental and become dangerously aggressive when they feel threatened. Levi has seen a young mother tear into a male twice her size to defend her clutch of hatchlings.

He catches sight of Armin slipping back into the room in his peripheral, syringe in hand. Levi edges closer to the dragon, motioning for Armin to stay out of its line of sight. Emerald eyes track his slow steps. The dragon snarls, hackles rising and Levi extends his arms to make himself bigger.

“Easy, boy,” Levi coaxes.

The tail swings across the floor and hits the wall with a heavy thump, startling Armin into an armchair. The chair squeals across the floor and green eyes turn toward the noise, the dragon snarling at the blonde. Levi blows the whistle in a quick staccato rhythm and the dragon lowers its head, pressing its belly to the floor. Levi barrels forward pinning the wings under his knees and pressing the head against the linoleum. The dragon bucks under him, letting out a high-pitched whine.

“Tranq him,” he orders. Armin rushes over and injects the syringe into the dragon’s neck. The animal flails, scrabbling across the floor. Levi holds fast while it keens and writhes under him, its movements slowing. They watch as mass shrinks and turns back to pale flesh.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting that, but it was so awesome,” Armin says with wide eyes. “Hanji is going to die when she finds out about this.”

Levi toes at what remains of Eren’s borrowed scrubs. That explains why they found the kid naked.

The little shit turned into a dragon. _Turned into a dragon._ Right in front of him.

It’s going to be a long day.

 

* * *

 

 

Eren is confused when he wakes up. Where is he again? Oh, right, the angry man found him in the forest and brought him here. Levi, not angry man, Eren corrects. Levi is okay for being a human. Eren likes the way he smells. Like fresh rain in the forest. Eren looks around the room. The humans are gone. He can go now.

He slides off the bed and feels something tugging at his arm. A tube? He pulls it out. He stumbles, but manages to stay on his feet. His legs feel so heavy. He pulls the door open and starts shuffling down the hallway. He’s so tired, but he forces himself to keep moving. He makes it to the end of the hallway and it splits into different directions. Eren pauses, steadying himself against the wall as the world spins.

Which way did they come in from again?

 

* * *

 

 

After Eren’s unexpected transformation and subsequent sedation, Levi lifted him back onto the bed and Armin settled him in, gentle hands sliding Eren’s legs into a new pair of scrub pants. Levi had reluctantly called Hanji. She came running. Literally.

She had flurried around Eren’s sedated form, drawing blood and swabbing to her heart’s content. Until she started rambling about doing a myriad of scans and tests and Levi had had to put his proverbial foot down and sent her scurrying back to the lab. He was not about to stand by and allow the maniac to start experimenting on a child. Eren may somehow have the ability to turn into a dragon, but he was still just a kid.

Armin hadn’t attempted to wrestle Eren’s limp body into another shirt, that would have gotten in the way of Hanji’s exam anyway, allowing Levi to take in the trails of scars littering the brunette’s exposed skin. The surgical scars Armin mentioned seemed to be contained to Eren’s abdomen, methodical lines that had healed well enough to become almost imperceptible, leaving behind silvery traces of raised skin.

Which is how Levi found himself in a research lab, contemplating punching someone in the face. He hasn’t decided who would be on the receiving end yet, but if Hanji doesn’t stop with the ear-splitting shrieks, Levi cannot be held accountable for his actions.

“I need more samples! This could give us so much insight into genetic modification and genome variations. Not to mention the possible effects this has had on his behavioral biometrics and sociobiology. It’s a scientific breakthrough!”

“You’ve taken more than enough samples, shitty glasses. Get on with the report already.” Levi wants to get out of here as fast as he can. It’s getting late and he wants to check on Eren before going home for the day.

“Fine, fine. So,” Hanji claps,” he has both normal human genes as well as dragon genes. It’s fascinating really, because the dragon genes blend in so perfectly with the rest of his DNA, it looks as if they have always been there. I would say that he was born a genetic hybrid.”

“Are you trying to tell me someone fucked a dragon?” Disgusting.

“Most likely not. I would say that his genetic makeup was somehow manipulated during the beginning stages of development in utero.” Hanji adds.

“Human experimentation on a pregnant woman,” Erwin surmises from his spot at the end of the table. “Who would do something like that?”

“Dragons regenerate cells at a highly accelerated rate, much faster than humans. Scientists have been trying to replicate their rapid cell growth for decades, but no one has ever actually done it. There have been studies integrating dragon cells with vaccines, but the effects are temporary at best. The dragon cells end up overpowering the virus before the subject’s immune system has a chance to build an immunity and then the cells seem to just die off,” she explains.

“Although, I did hear about a doctor while I was studying wildlife in the forests of Shiganshina that claimed to be able to cure his wife’s cancer using dragon blood.” Hanji recalls, propping her head up on her hand.

“And did he?” Erwin asks.

“I don’t know. Her health deteriorated suddenly and they left town. Nobody’s heard from either of them since.” She hums, “Someone must have figured it out, though. Levi, you said his ankle was injured when you caught him?”

“He was clearly limping and swollen,” Levi responds.

“When I examined him, there was no swelling or bruising, but I had Armin get a few x-rays just in case. He broke several bones in his foot. From the fracture pattern, he clearly sustained the injury falling out of the tree you tried to chop down.” She gives Levi a pointed look. “The breaks all show fresh remodeling. It would have taken weeks for the average person to recover as much as he has in only a day!” She squeals. “Our little friend can heal like a dragon.”

Levi crosses his legs, “Speaking of little, the brat barely comes up to my chest and even after he changed, he was only the size of an adolescent dragon.”

“It would make sense that his metabolism would be higher than normal and combined with childhood malnutrition and probable abuse,” Hanji sighs, “his growth was probably stunted.”

“Well, Levi, what do you think?” Erwin questions.

“The little shit hardly seems dangerous. He transformed in a panic, but didn’t make any moves to attack. We can’t just release him into the wilds alone with poachers on his tail, though. I doubt he’s able to properly control his ability and people won’t react kindly to a dragon appearing in the city.”

“So you’re saying we can keep him?” Hanji bounces in her seat.

“It would be safest for Eren to stay here for the time being. He can live on the nature reserve under the Survey Corps’ protection. It should be easy enough keeping him under control if he transforms again.” Levi drums his fingers on the table.

“I agree,” Erwin says. “Levi, I leave Eren in your custody. Take care of him, help him adjust, and see if he can tell you anything more about the people that kidnapped him. I want to shut them down.”

“Give him to your little coconut, they like each other,” Levi protests.

“Armin is busy with the new hatchlings we took in. You are the best dragon handler we have and so, the most qualified for this job considering Eren can turn into a dragon.” Erwin folds his arms across his chest. “He’s clearly been through a lot. Be his ally. Show him that he’ll be safe and comfortable living here.”

“Oh, and since we didn’t factor in his revved up metabolism when Armin set up the IV, he’s definitely burned through the mild sedatives we gave him, so the little cutie is probably up and moving by now. Time to get to work,” Hanji laughs.

Levi sighs.

 

* * *

 

 

Eren is definitely not lost. He knows exactly where he’s going.

Sort of.

In a general sense.

He is going to go outside and he is going to find a nice new place to live. Someplace where he can stretch out in the sun and bask and he’ll be close to the water so can swim and bathe whenever he wants and it will be perfect. If he could just find the exit and get out of this maze of never ending hallways already. Geez. How do the humans live here without getting lost? Everything looks exactly the same. There should be maps posted on the walls. He hopes he hasn’t been going in circles this whole time. That would really suck.

A set of footsteps echoes down the hall and Eren ducks into a closet. Maybe they’re leaving. He waits until the steps pass by his hiding spot before easing out. He trails the human from a distance, being very careful to be quiet and stay out of sight. The human leads him to another white door in another white hallway. Eren huffs. Useless human.

Wait.

This door has a sign next to it.

Good human.

It takes Eren longer than he’d like to admit to sound out the word. Nurse. Nursery. Hatchlings! Armin said the hatchlings are in the nursery! That’s good. Hatchlings mean there is a mother a nest close by. Mothers always let Eren into their nests because he is so small, they treat him like he is still just a hatchling himself. Nests are warm and safe and oh, how Eren wants to be in a nest right now. He slips through the door.

Milk and sugar. Eren follows the scent to a smaller room and he smells them before he sees them. Fresh skin and sweetness, half a dozen hatchlings are sprinkled about. A couple are play pinning in the middle of the soft carpet, but the rest are sleeping soundly in piles of warm bodies and soft blankets. Eren finds a dark corner and burrows in to join them.

The hatchlings are drawn to him and Eren soon finds himself captive under a blanket of their little wriggling bodies. The scent of the clutch is intoxicating and he drifts on and off, surrounded by their warmth. A sharp pinch startles him and Eren rouses to one of them rooting around for a nipple. He nudges the hatchling away from his chest before it tries to latch on again, cooing. “Sorry, sweet thing. I don’t have any milk for you.” The hatchling squawks indignantly.

Eren wonders where their mother is. It’s unusual for such a young clutch to be left alone and they will be getting hungry soon. A place so obviously occupied by humans is not a very ideal location for a nest either. What was their mother thinking?

Oh.

The humans.

Eren curses. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Of course the humans took these hatchlings, why else would they be inside this place. He needs to get them out of here. He’ll take them back to the forest with him and build them a good nest and keep them safe until he can find their mother. If he can find the mother at all. Their nest could be miles from here and there’s no telling in which direction. The parents could have moved on in their grief or even been taken by the humans themselves.

If worse comes to worst, Eren will just have to keep them. He’ll raise the clutch as his own. Eren knows his body is capable of bearing young, it was something the humans had been most excited about back at the bad place, so it should only take a day or so for him to start producing milk for his adopted babies. He’s never done it before, but Eren is confident that he will be able to provide for the little ones. He’ll make sure they are safe and warm and he won’t ever let them go hungry. When they are a little bigger, he’ll teach them to swim and fly and hunt. And when the time comes, Eren will show them how to build nests of their own. He will watch over them. It will be nice to have a family again.

He wraps a blanket around his waist and ties it over his shoulder. Eren gathers the hatchlings, nestling each one into his makeshift pouch. Eren’s own mother had often carried him like this when he was still small. He croons to them and they warble their content back. They are pleased to be held so close to Eren’s familiar dragon-like scent.

Eren cradles his bundle close and creeps back into the hallway. He can’t afford to get lost or distracted this time. The clutch is relying on him and he won’t let them down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your comments, they really help. I'm so excited by the response I've gotten. :)  
> Over 100 kudos so far woo! :D  
> <3


	4. Chapter 4

The hatchlings are hungry. Eren runs his hands over the bundle held against his chest, trying to soothe them as they start to fuss. Once they get outside, Eren will find something for them to eat.

Voices echo from around the corner and Eren ducks into an empty room. He’s halfway across the room, the door swinging shut behind him, before he realizes his mistake. This room isn’t quite as unoccupied as he had thought.

“Eren? You’re awake!” Armin smiles at him.

Eren scans his surroundings. A desk and a couple chairs stand between him and Armin, a row of bookcases filled to the brim lines the walls. No other exit, he’ll have to go back out the way he came in and hope the other humans have cleared the hall by now. He turns to shield his bundle from the blonde’s view. Armin has been kind so far and he smells trustworthy, like a mother, but Eren isn’t willing to risk the hatchlings.

“Are you feeling okay? Not dizzy or nauseous? Is your foot hurting at all?” Armin shuffles some papers on the desk.

“I’m fine. I feel fine.” Eren shifts his feet, trying to be subtle about adjusting the hatchlings’ weight in the blanket. He prays they will stay quiet until he can get away from Armin.

“That’s good. I know you’ve been through something unimaginable and I just want you to know that we’re all happy to have you here. Hanji especially is excited to talk to you.”

“Hanji?”

“She’s the head of our research department here. She says you’re a modern miracle.” Armin huffs out a laugh, dropping papers into a drawer. "She may be right. We've never seen anything like you, you know." He glances up and looks between Eren and the door. “Is Levi with you?”

“No, I- um. I was just going for a walk. To get some fresh air. But I keep getting lost in here,” he grumbles the last part. “Can you tell me how to get outside? Please?”

Eren fidgets under the blonde’s steady gaze. Armin pulls something out of his pocket, a phone, and thumbs the screen to life. “I'm done here for the night, so I'll join you. It'll give us a chance to talk. I'd love it if you would tell me about yourself. I'm from a small town myself, what about you?.” Armin bends to grab a messenger bag from the floor and slings it over his shoulder.

Eren hums noncommittally, keeping his body turned away. The hatchlings are growing restless and he pulls them tighter to his chest. Just a little longer and Armin will lead them outside where he can escape into the forest with his new clutch.

Armin notes the blanket wrapped around Eren’s waist and asks if he’s cold. “I’m sorry I didn’t get you a new shirt while you were sleeping. The one you were wearing before got a little, uh, holey. Here, take my jacket. It’s cold out once the sun goes down this time of year.”

Armin sheds his coat and offers it to Eren. Eren is reaching back to take it, when a small chirp comes from the clutch.

Armin’s brow furrows, “What was that?”

Eren turns away again. “What was what?.”

“I thought I heard something.” Armin gives him a skeptical look.

Eren peeks into the blanket and the restless hatchlings blink up at him. He pats them, trying to lull them back to sleep. They won’t settle, though, and more warbling cries fill the air.

“I don't hear anything.” He hunches over the clutch and covers them back up with the blanket.

Armin peers over Eren’s shoulder. A little green head worms its way out of the blanket and yips up at them. Eren’s body locks up, breath caught in his throat. There’s a beat of silence.

“Is that what I think it is?”

"I don't know what you're talking about." The little dragon flops out, butting its tiny nose against his chest.

"You have a hatchling."

Another little body wriggles out of the blanket and into Eren's arms. "No, I don't."

"Correction. You have multiple hatchlings." Armin looks so confused, that Eren would have laughed if he weren't so worried about having to give them back. “Where did you even find them? Did you take them from the nursery?” Armin asks.

Eren reluctantly nods.

Armin sighs. “Okay. Why don’t you and I take them back to the nursery and settle the hatchlings in for the night.”

“But they were all alone there. They need me to watch over them.” He tucks the blanket more securely over their little heads.

“You can’t take care of them on your own. They need a mother-”

“I will be their mother! I'll protect them!” Eren interrupts.

“How do expect to feed them? Eren, we are going to give the hatchlings to a proper mother. We aren’t going to keep them here. They will be well looked after.” Armin is tapping at his phone, keeping an eye trained on Eren’s agitated pacing.

“I can! I just need some time to make it. A few days, maybe? I can do it, though. I know I can.” The clutch whines, sensing his distress. Eren gives them a low croon and calms himself with their scents. He needs to stay focused, so he can safely harbor them away from here. There’s no time to panic right now. "I've never had my own before, but they said I could."

"They said..." Armin’s eyebrows shoot up. “Eren, are you saying you can you have hatchlings? Grow them inside your belly?”

“Of course I can,” Eren snaps. “I’m not a child.”

“I know you’re not a child. I just didn’t realize you were… uh, fertile.” Armin says.

“Dragons can be boys and have babies, too, you know. I thought you said you were a doctor?” Eren squints at him.

“I’m a people doctor,” Armin explains. “I don’t usually work with the dragons but, yes, I know certain males can both carry and sire hatchlings.”

“They called me a, um. Uh, an egg? An egga.” Or something like that. Close enough.

“An omega?”

“Yeah, that.” They had called him other things, too. Harsh words thrown from outside his cage, taunting him from the other side of metal bars. Eren had overheard the doctors at the bad place using that word after he woke up with all the stitches in his tummy. They said it a lot when they talked about him after that. It had made them excited for some reason Eren didn't understand.

“Do you know what that means?” Armin asks.

A curious hatchling stretches up to his chest and Eren leans down for a quick nuzzle before shooing it back into the blanket with its hatchmates. “Means I can have my own clutch, even though I’m a boy.”

“Yeah, that's right,” Armin breathes.

Eren hums to the clutch in his arms. He wishes Armin would just tell him how to get outside already. The human talks too much and he has restless hatchlings to take care of. “Can I go now? I want to settle them down in a good nest before it gets too late, so I’ll have time to hunt tonight.”

“Eren,” Armin winces. “I’m sorry, but you still can’t take them.”

Eren startles, looking up. “But you- I just told you. I can take care of them.” They just talked about this. He thought Armin understood that he was capable.

The door to the office swings open and Eren’s grip tightens. Levi looks over the two of them before locking in on the hatchlings in Eren’s arms.

Eren can feel his heart racing. He thinks it might burst right out of his chest. “No, you can’t keep them. They don’t belong here. They deserve to be free and happy and safe from humans like you that only want to cut them open and- no, I won’t leave them here.” He can hear his pulse pounding in his ears.

Levi sighs. “Alright, everyone sit down. We need to talk.”

Eren scowls. Great. More talking. All these humans ever want to do is talk and he's tired of it. He watches them settle into the armchairs in front of the desk. Levi watches him expectantly. He glares back.

“Please sit, Eren, you really should be resting still,” Armin implores.

Eren hesitantly pulls the desk chair out, scooting it a little further away from the humans than necessary, and sits.

“Okay,” Levi begins. “First, no one is getting cut open. You told us you were with some other humans before now. Those shitstains are a disgusting example of the human race and they've managed to piss me off. They better pray Erwin takes apart their organization legally before I find it and take them apart literally. Things operate very differently here. You are under my protection now.”

Eren shivers. He doesn't doubt the words for a second. He can see the man's conviction in his eyes.

“Second, the fence you went over surrounds miles of land that is reserved specifically for dragons to roam freely. I’m sure you understand how easy it is for a dragon to cross over the fence line?” Levi asks.

Eren nods his head in agreement. It had been fairly easy to get over the fence himself. He imagines it would be even easier for full dragons to simply fly over it.

“The fence is really designed to keep human beings out. The dragons come and go as they please. Everyone working in this facility is here to help conserve the dragon population. Whether it be by hunting down poachers, which we mistook you for this morning,” Levi pauses at Eren’s indignant huff, “or by studying them.”

He must have made a face, Eren thinks, because Armin is quick to jump in about how Hanji and the research department go on expeditions to watch dragons in their natural habitat. He kindly explains that rescued or injured dragons are brought inside the facility only long enough to be rehabilitated before being released back into the forest.

A persistent little hatchling escapes the blanket again with a squawk, blinking up at him. Eren snorts at its stubbornness and helps when it starts scrabbling up onto his shoulders. It nestles against his throat where his scent is strongest.

Listening to Levi and Armin talk about this place, Eren starts to relax. He can sense nothing but honesty in their words and comfort in their scents. These humans are unlike any of the ones back at the bad place. He dares to think he might finally be safe. After all these years, has he stumbled right into a haven for dragons?

“Lastly,” Levi continues, “no one is keeping the hatchlings.” He raises his hand when Eren opens his mouth to interrupt. “Hush, just listen. No one in this room is keeping them and they will not stay here. They were found orphaned and are going to be adopted by a mated dragon pair that we rescued and tagged last year. The omega of the pair was injured and cannot carry a clutch of their own.”

Eren looks up from the hatchling on his shoulder to search Levi's eyes. “Really?” He would be sad to see the hatchlings go, even after only knowing them for so little time, but they would be better protected with both a mother and a father to look after them. Adult dragons instinctively try to adopt orphaned young. One of the perks of being so small as both a human and a dragon, Eren has been sheltered by mother dragons throughout the forest during his attempts at escaping the humans. He never stayed with them too long before continuing toward home, though and, unfortunately, the humans always caught up with him eventually. Until now, at least.

“Moblit has already been tracked the pair down so we can introduce the hatchlings. I’ll let you tag along to watch, if you want,” Levi offers.

Eren very much does want. He needs to see it, so he’ll know for sure that they will be safe. He nods vigorously. “Yes, please.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

They convince Eren to reluctantly bring the clutch back to the nursery, but only on the condition that he can come see them first thing in the morning. Levi is ready to agree to just about anything if it means he can go home for the night. He has had a long day chasing Eren around and he’s ready for it to fucking be over already.

He stands next to Armin, the two of them watching Eren tenderly tuck each hatchling into the nest of blankets in the nursery. They mewl to him and the brunette’s head dips down to nuzzle each one in turn.

“Levi, sir.” Armin is careful to keep his voice low. “I’ve been thinking.”

Levi glances at the blonde from his peripheral. Waits for him to continue.

“I think they might have sent Eren into the forest on purpose,” Armin says.

“Why would they willingly let him go?”

“It’s mating season.”


End file.
